The Hand-Held Tsunami:What does it mean for library services, contentand VIVA?

John UlmschneiderChair, VIVA Outreach CommitteeUniversity LibrarianVirginia Commonwealth University

Handheld tsunami? What tsunami?21 million households are wireless only U.S. mobile user send/receives 357 text messages per month Average # of text messages > average # of phone calls 26 million mobile subscribers use a smartphone device Apple sold 6.9 million iPhones and 11 million iPods in July Sept. 2008 alone Biggest selling computers are lightweight laptops Emerging market: netbooks and ultraportables smaller screens, full keyboards, feather weight, full connectivitySources: Nielsen Mobile; MarketWatch; Gizmodo

So whats the problem?Content delivery today is built on paradigm of desktop computer Service delivery rests on tradition of personal contact, desktop computer, telephone The future will not rest on this foundation The future is a 5 x 3 screen The future is gesture manipulation of content, voice interaction, ubiquitous access to any content The future is content designed for mobile platformSources: Nielsen Mobile; MarketWatch; Gizmodo

Handheld devices: examples

Handheld devices: examples

Handheld devices: examples

Netbooks and ultraportables

Handheld devices: uses

Four key developmentsE-inkStingy with power, ruggedBook-like reading experience

Gesture, touch, voice interfaceFlexible, intuitive, naturalHaptic tactile feedbackEnriches content as well as navigates content Fidelity to the legacy experiencePages generally resemble desktop experienceVideo, audio, text capabilities like desktop

Mobilized content, compelling content business modelContent designed for mobile environmentRevenue sharing through channeled store experience: catalyzes access to content generated by business

E-ink technologies

Gesture and touch

Spoken word/voice

Fidelity to what we knowFidelity to the desktop web experiencePages in general look, act the sameDisplay optimizes to users specifications No compromise on presentation of contentVideo, audio, text capabilities like a laptopNative format not an obstacle: Word files, PDF, Excel spreadsheets, JPG, MPEG4, MP3 BUT: creating content not a core featureAccess, display is the focusLimitations of input devices, display, and power prohibit anything beyond rudimentary text and photographs

Mobilized content: moving beyond what we knowNow fading: content packaged for specific handheld devicesPDA reference works, books, etc.Keyboards The future: content tuned for next generation smartphonesHigh resolution screensTouch and gesture controlTactile feedbackFidelity to the normal web experience ANDContent provided through integrated, channeled storefrontAmazon, iTunesE-booksVirtually every form of publishing and entertainment, without impediment of copy protection

Mobilized content: examples

Mobilized content: exampleshttp://google.com/gwt/n/http://skweezer.net

Mobilized content: examples

Mobilized content: examples

Mobilized content: examples

Mobilized content: examples

Mobile platform becoming the standard platformSearch and discover tools designed for mobile platforms Interaction designed for non-keyboard modalities: gesture, manipulate, feel Voice interaction whenever practicable Specialized devices for books One device for everything elseuntil technology catches up Key for VIVA and libraries: are we attending to these enormous changes?